1983 - 1992 Full Time Researcher in Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Pisa
1992 - 2006 Associate Professor on Plant Cytogenetics, Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Pisa
2000-2011 Vice-president of the Ph.D. School in Molecular Biotechnologies, since 2011 President of the Ph.D. Course in Molecular Biotechnologies, since 2013 Vice-president of the Ph.D. Course in Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences; since 2016 Coordinator of the PhD course in Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences.
Since 2006 Full Professor in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Pisa University.
2008-2012 Head of the Dept. of Crop Plant Biology, since 2012 Deputy Director of Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Environment
Leader of research units of italian MIUR, Agriculture Ministry and National Research Council projects.
1994: Culture Ministry Award from Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome, for studies in Plant Sciences. 2017: "Ordine del Cherubino" Award from University of Pisa. 2018-2020: Member of the Commission for Sector 07/E1 (Chimica Agraria, Genetica Agraria e Pedologia) in the ASN (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale).
Research studies performed mainly in the field of plant molecular biology and genomics, using molecular, bioinformatic, biochemical, cytochemical, and cytophotometric techniques. In the last years, his activity has been especially focused on structural and functional genomics, using next generation sequencing technologies. His research lines include i) studies on the structure of plant genome, especially the repetitive component of the genome and its variation, also in relation to phenotypic effects of such variations, ii) analyses of gene expression in plants exposed to abiotic stresses, as drought and trace metals, iii) analyses of somatic polyploidy in plant tissues (in maize and wheat).
Research activity is documented by more than 100 publications on international peer reviewed journals.